Child&#39;s noise producing placater



Dec. 7, 1965 s. HETTINGA CHILD'S NOISE PRODUCING PLACATER Filed Sept. 4,1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 //V VEN TOR. 6/5501. T HETT/NGH Dec. 7, 1965 s.HETTINGA CHILD'S NOISE PRODUCING PLACATER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept.4, 1962 United States Patent 3,221,444 CHILDS NUISE PRODUCING PLACATEREiehoit Hettinga, 734 Washington St, Peila, Iowa Filed Sept. 4, W62, er.No. 221,200 6 Illaims. (Ci. 46-175) The present invention relates toinfants toys and more particularly to improvements in infants toys whichproduce motions and sounds that amuse and appeal to the childsinquisitive sense.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a relativelyinexpensive, durable, flexible and washable childs placater which whenmanipulated by an infant produces a novel crinkling and crushing soundwhich appeals to the child.

Another object of the invention is to provide an infants toy made fromlightweight and tough materials that are non-toxic, and chemical andmoisture resistant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sound producinginfants toy with a teething ring which also functions as a handle.

According to the invention, the childs placater includes a rigid handlesecured to a tough and flexible body means. The body has thecharacteristics of producing a crinkling and crushing sound when it isdistorted from its normal shape. These characteristics of the body aredeveloped by utilizing a relatively thin, deformable tough sheetmaterial in combination with a resilient reinforcing member. Theresilient member is positioned adjacent the sheet material and functionsto hold the material in its normal shape. When a child deforms the body,the sheet material produces a distinctive crinkling and crushing sound.This sound is continued after the child releases the body by the springaction of the reinforcing member. The crinkling and crushing soundamuses the child by appealing to the childs natural curiosity anddestructive instincts.

The exact nature of the invention as well as other objects andadvantages thereof will be readily apparent from the consideration ofthe following specification relating to the annexed drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view partly in section of a placaterconstructed according to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view partly in section of a modification ofthe placater of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view partly in section of a furthermodification of the placater of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view partly in section of another modificationof the placater of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view partly in section of still anothermodification of the placater of FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawing, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a childs placaterhaving a handle 11 and a body 12. The body includes several juxtaposedlayers, at least one of the layers being deformable and having thecharacteristics on being deformed of producing a crinkling and crunchingsound. The layer 13 is a washable flexible fabric and is secured bymeans of stitches 14 to a soundproducing layer 16 to form an enclosedchamber 17. To provide the body with support and shape, a resilientreinforcing layer 18 is positioned in the chamber 17 and sandwichedbetween the layers 16 and 18. The reinforcing layer is soft and easilydeformable and is formed from material such as foam rubber or a naturalsponge.

In order to increase the intensity of the noise a second sound-producinglayer 21 is positioned between the re inforcing layer 18 and the layer13. The sound-producing layers 16 and 21 are formed from relativelythin, tough sheet material that is non-toxic, and chemical and moistureresistant.

An example of an effective sound-producing layer is the polyester filmsold under the trademark Mylar by the 3,221,444 Patented Dec. 7, I965 E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company of Wilmington, Delaware. The film Mylar,between 0.0005 to 0.005 inch in thickness, produces a sharp and distinctcrinkling and crunching sound when deformed as by being crushed. Thissound is accentuated after the Mylar film has been pre-wrinkled. Thisfilm is flexible, tough, resists abrasion, and is non-volatile and inertto water. In addition, Mylar has a high tensile strength, a resistanceto failure by repeated flexing, and a resistance to initial tear. Theseproperties form a body 12 which is washable in hot water and cannot bepenetrated by an infants sharp teeth.

The handle portion 11 has a rectangular shaped teething ring 22integrally secured to a fastening clamp 23. The clamp has a pair oflaterally spaced male rivet projections 24 and 26 mounted on a baseplate 27 and a rotatable plate member 28 integrally secured by a thinisthmus 29 to a portion of the ring 22. The plate member 28 has a pairof bores 31 and 32 adapted to receive the projections 24 and 26.

A portion of the body 12 is placed on the base plate 27 and held thereonby rotating the plate member 28 into engagement with the projections 24and 26. The clamping action of the plate member 28 is maintained by thecoaction of the rivet projections with the edges of the bores 31 and 32.

The modified placater 33 shown in FIGURE 2 has a handle 11a which isidentical in construction with the handle 11 of FIGURE 1. The body 34has outer surface layers 36 formed from sound-producing sheet ma terialsubstantially identical to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and21 of FIGURE 1.. A plurality of resilient reinforcing layers 37 and 38are sandwiched between the surface layers and provide the body withflexibility and shape. When the body 34 is deformed the layers 37 and 38will restore it to its initial shape.

The modified placater 39 shown in FIGURE 3 includes a handle 11b and abody 41. The handle 11b is substantially identical in construction withthe handle 11 of FIG- URE 1. The body 41 includes a plurality ofsound-producing layers 42 and 43 formed from sheet materialsubstantially similar to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and21. The layers 4-2 and 43 are enclosed by a washable fabric cover 44.The shape of the body is maintained by the resilient characteristics ofthe sound-producing layers 42 and 43.

The modified placater 46 shown in FIGURE 4 has a handle 11csubstantially identical to the handle 11 of FIGURE 1 and a body 47. Thebody 47 comprises a layer 48 formed from sound-producing materialsubstantially similar to the material forming layers 16 and 21 of FIGURE1 and a flexible fabric layer 49. The layers 48 and 49 are securedtogether along their peripheral edges by conventional means such asstitching 51.

Referring to FIGURE 5, there is shown a modified placater 52 having abody 53 secured to a handle 11d. The handle 11d is similar inconstruction to the handle 11 of FIGURE 1. The body 53 has a resilientreinforcing member 54 sandwiched between a pair of soundproducingmembers 56 and 57. The members 56 and 57 are formed from sheet materialsubstantially identical to the sheet material forming the layers 16 and21. A washable fabric cover 53 encloses the members 54, 56 and 57.

While there have been shown, described and pointed out the fundamentalnovel features of the invention, it will be understood that variousomissions, substitutions, changes in form and details of the childsplacater illustrated may be made by those skilled in the art, withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention as defined in the appendedclaims. It is intended to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

I claim:

1. A childs placater comprising:

(a) handle means,

(b) resilient reinforcing means,

(c) surface layers of a deformable means which on being deformed has thecharacteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound, saidlayers being positioned adjacent said reinforcing means to sandwich saidreinforcing means therebetween and cover the reinforcing means wherebythe deformed layers will resume their undeformed shape, and

(d) means securing the handle means to a portion of the outer surfacelayers.

2. A childs placater comprising:

(a) resilient reinforcing means, and

(b) surface layers of a deformable means which on being deformed has thecharacteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound, saidlayers being positioned adjacent but movable relative to saidreinforcing means to sandwich said reinforcing means therebetween andcover the reinforcing means whereby the resilient reinforcing meansreturn the deformed layers into their initial positions.

3. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a first layer of deformable sheet material which on being deformedhas the characteristics of producing a crinkling and crunching sound,

(b) a second layer of washable fabric,

(0) resilient reinforcing means sandwiched between but movable relativeto the first and second layers to hold said layers in a substantiallyflat position, and

(d) means securing the peripheral edges of said layers together to forma unitary body.

4. The childs placater defined in claim 3 including:

(a) a third layer of washable fabric positioned adjacent the first layerwhereby the entire body is covered with a washable fabric.

5. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a flexible body means including a layer of a resilient member and atleast one layer of a deformable means positioned adjacent to but movablerelative to the resilient member, said deformable means on beingdeformed from an initial position having the characteristics ofproducing a crinkling and crunching sound, and

(b) means securing opposite adjacent peripheral portions of saiddeformable means and said resilient member against relative movement,

(0) said deformable means after deformation being returned to theinitial position therefor by said resilient member.

6. A childs placater comprising:

(a) a first layer of deformable sheet material which on being deformedfrom an initial position has the characteristics of producing acrinkling and crunching sound,

(b) a second layer of a resilient reinforcing means positioned adjacentto said first layer and in a back to back relation therewith,

(c) said first and second layers surrounded and enclosed by a thirdlayer of washable fabric, and

(d) said first layer movable relative to said second and third layers toproduce a crinkling and crunching sound and returned to the initialposition therefor by said second layer.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,210,024 8/1940Cayo 272-77 2,579,294 12/1951 Brown 273-65 2,987,317 6/1961 Acevedo27367 3,120,718 2/1964 Glass et al. 46-14 OTHER REFERENCES Encyclopediaof Chemical Technology, page 603, vol. 10, and Supplement 1 of theabove, page 691.

DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD c. PINKHAM, Examiner.

2. A CHILD''S PLACATER COMPRISING: (A) RESILIENT REINFORCING MEANS, AND(B) SURFACE LAYERS OF DEFORMABLE MEANS WHICH ON BEING DEFORMED HAS THECHARACTERISTICS OF PRODUCING A CRINKLING AND CRUNCHING SOUND, SAIDLAYERS BEING POSITIONED ADJACENT BUT MOVABLE RELATIVE TO SAIDREINFORCING MEANS TO SANDWICH SAID REINFORCING MEANS THEREBETWEEN ANDCOVER THE REINFORCING MEANS WHEREBY THE RESILIENT REINFORCING MEANSRETURN THE DEFORMED LAYERS INTO THEIR INITIAL PORTIONS.